As the ASEAN summit wraps up, the Sydney Declaration has subtly taken Australia’s relationship with its closest Asian neighbours into new territory after a diverse week of engagement from soccer to social entrepreneurs.

Think tanks are a source of both fascination and fear for the media. The reality of efforts to influence policy-making is far more prosaic and think tanks continue to evolve to survive in a changing political landscape.

Allan Gyngell, the National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, discussed the challenges posed by China’s growth at a recent NZIIA conference and warned that ‘winter is coming’.

To mark International Women’s Day, and in the wake of the #metoo campaign, a new global study by Ipsos across 27 countries – “Global Misperceptions of Equality and the Need to Press for Progress” – highlights a range of equality issues, with sexual harassment topping the list.

Building an extra 50,000 homes a year for a decade could leave Australian house prices 5 to 20% lower than they would be otherwise, and stem rising public anxiety about housing affordability, according to a new Grattan Institute report

Many public advisory committees lack the information and training they require to produce the right policy proposals. Peter Fritz urges the creation of a new entity to give them the support they need to make more innovative and effective recommendations.

As cryptocurrencies become increasingly mainstream, the Marshall Islands are planning to launch the world’s first digital legal tender. Lawmakers hope the residents will use the Sovereign (SOV) digital currency for everything from paying taxes to buying groceries.

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